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An Austin Church Helped Wipe Out Student Debt For 200 HBCU Grads At Huston-Tillotson

An Austin Church Helped Wipe Out Student Debt For 200 HBCU Grads At Huston-Tillotson

Huston-Tillotson

An Austin Church Helped Wipe Out Student Debt For 200 HBCU Grads At Huston-Tillotson. Credit: OlyaSolodenko. / https://htu.edu/

About 200 HBCU grads from Huston-Tillotson University received more than their degrees on Aug. 7. Many also graduated debt-free thanks to a $450,000 gift to the school from the First United Methodist Church of Austin to help eliminate student debt.

It was a welcome relief for the classes of 2020 and 2021, whose students worked diligently to overcome unprecedented challenges to complete their degrees during the coronavirus pandemic. The class of 2020 participated in the 2021 graduation ceremony since they could not hold one last year.

“Every fiber of Huston-Tillotson University felt the impact of the coronavirus, but the magnitude of its effects were experienced most by our students,” said Huston-Tillotson President Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette in a statement. “Our students carried the weight of academic aspirations through obstacles of the past several months, all while learning remotely. We are tremendously grateful and appreciative of the support from the First United Methodist Church of Austin. Their investments lift members of our genius generation as they fulfill their dreams.”

Established in 1875, the Austin, Texas-based HBCU has had a relationship with the United Methodist Church dating back to its inception. According to Huston-Tillotson Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Wayne Knox, that foundation led to the generous donation.

“The church leader had a discussion with our university president, just talking about the institution and talking about how we can continue to partner,” Knox told the Austin American-Statesman. “And in that conversation, the pastor asked us, ‘How could we help?'”

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First United Church pastor Rev. Taylor Fuerst said they were glad to help. “HT has faith-based roots with founders from the United Methodist Church and a strong partnership with FUMC,” Fuerst said. “This partnership is an opportunity for transformation in all our lives and the community which binds us together.” 

Many of the students were seniors who had a hard time covering the cost of their last semesters in college, Knox told CBS Austin. First United’s gift alleviated that burden.

“The gift allowed the students to achieve the ultimate goal, which was to earn their college degree,” Knox said. “We are just overly excited and humbled by the rich gift from First United Methodist, rich, not just in dollars, but rich in terms of the spirit in which it was given. It was given just to simply help.”

Graduate Tyra Davis told Fox7, she would have likely had to drop out if it weren’t for First United’s gift.

“The message I got was, ‘congratulations. you just received the grant’,” Smith said. “That grant helped so much. If it wasn’t for HT giving that grant, I probably wouldn’t be in school right now … That pushes me to go all the way to the top just like they want to see us. You want to see me move to the top, you helped me, so up we go.”

Astronaut Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go into space, served as the university’s commencement speaker. Knox said Jemison represented the spirit of the graduates’ resilience.

“Dr. Jemison, being the first African American female to go to space, has a testimony in and of herself about defying the odds and moving forward,” Knox said. “We’re just over the moon proud of our graduates. They are the embodiment of grit and persistence. Being able to finish out their collegiate studies in the midst of the global pandemic — that’s unprecedented.”

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***Image Info: Credit: OlyaSolodenko.  / https://htu.edu/***